Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

I'd like to create a teacher's guide to go along with my middle grade book. I've gotten varying info about what teacher's look for, so I'm coming right to the source.

What types of things make a great guide? Length? Activities? Paper vs a downloadable PDF?

Honestly, if I had to use a teacher's guide I'd rather see papers instead of PDF, a lot of discussion and comprehension questions, and possible cautions to certain age groups.

:)

I'm not a teacher, but I have pdf "Printables" on my website and they are frequently downloaded. Most are one page in length.

I'm slowly working on adding printables for my daughter's book. I'm adding each individually and the plan is that once they are finished, I'll put them all together in one set as well, in case someone wants all of them. I don't know if it helps to link up what common core standards that it helps fulfill in the US. That was something I plan to research eventually.

I have downloadable comprehension worksheets on my site and I had had no luck with this. They accompany my new books for middle grades. Any advice here?
Thanks,
lorraine

For my picture book, I wanted to make it super easy for a librarian or bookseller to pull it off the shelf and do a storytime event -- so I have two puzzles, an easy maze for younger children and a word search for older children that can be downloaded. ("Storytime in a box" concept.)

I've done lots of school visits, but instead of focusing on my book per se, I focus on what the teachers are looking for--someone to inspire their kids to write their own stories. So I have created a printable with great websites for young writers and a page of story starters that any teacher or homeschooling parent can use.

I have a list of books for boys, using the way my own boys look at books: "Books for Boys, by Weight." Since the beginning of the summer, this has been my best download.

Even though these printables aren't specifically about my book, they are useful and so people find them, link to them, recommend them, and it brings people to my website.

I've always thought I'd have to win a major award before someone would come to my website looking for a serious study guide for my fiction : ) But maybe others have had more success with this? Would love to hear about how others are doing this and what's working for them.

MG, your approach is probably good for a picture book. For middle grade, if you are hoping to get teachers to use the book and materials, tie-ins to the Common Core standards for target grades would certainly be a draw.

Rebecca wrote: "MG, your approach is probably good for a picture book. For middle grade, if you are hoping to get teachers to use the book and materials, tie-ins to the Common Core standards for target grades wou..."

Would love to have some teachers chime in on this one!

I think it's helpful, especially in Middle Grade, to have Curriculum Guides that are linked to the Common Core. I worked with Debbie Gonzales, a former teacher who also holds an MFA in writing for children, to develop mine. It's available for free download on my website if anybody would like to see an example: http://www.shannonhitchcock.com/forte...

I am not a teacher, but as a school board member I spend a lot of time with them. I probably should have clarified that. I know most are very concerned with how the shift will work out.

Frankly, I also think it will be an uphill battle with most teachers, to convince them to use an unknown book in class. Most are feeling a lot of pressure about the whole process. That said, anything that makes your book easy to use in a way that meshes with the new standards (and remember, they have to learn what they are and how to teach them) is going to make it more appealing.

As a high school English teacher, teacher guides are appreciated. Comprehensive questions/answers plus individual and group activities for the classroom should also be given. Good discussion questions are needed also.
For middle grade, which I also write, I include worksheets around literary elements, crossword puzzles, word searches, etc.
The best way to get these in educators' hands is to visit schools in your area. Offer teachers/librarians a hard copy of your book along with a printed teacher guide. You can also offer to visit classes and talk about writing in general. Don't get discouraged if you are turned down on the visits. Just keep trying, maybe with your or a neighbor's kids' teachers.

My publisher gave me the CC standards and asked me to write discussion and writing questions that addressed them for grades 5-8. I thought they did a great job of producing the teacher guides. There is a general guide, then downloadable inserts for each grade level, literacy and writing for 5-8 and social studies 6-8. They offer the guides free by mail or as a free download. Anybody who is interested in taking a look can find them here: http://www.luckymarblebooks.com/teach...

Thanks for sharing the website. I actually wrote to UCLA faculty in the education department and asked them to help me connect with a teacher or grad student that would be interested in creating a discussion guide. It took a few emails but I made a great connection and the discussion guides will be available in about a month.

I am a teacher-librarian. My favorite guides have involved connections to common core and higher level bloom's taxonomy questions that lead to critical discussion and creation. I am particularly interested in activities that involve collaborative opportunities. Also, think technology if at all possible. Tie ins to current websites based on theme or related activities are a plus. I just peeked at Shannon's and Suzanne's reading guides and like them. I would definitely use something like that! However, be careful of putting too much in. Time is precious and most of us won't read through many pages. Try to be succinct.

Dear Laura,
I am always aware of teacher/librarian needs and thus
all my books aimed at middle greade and YA readers have teacher notes displayed on my website www.goldiealexander.com
You might find these helpful

I make free teaching supplements and printables for children's books and some middle grades books at http://www.wiseowlfactory.com/BookaDay/
I have a new web site coming out soon that will be easier to navigate!

Carolyn wrote: "I make free teaching supplements and printables for children's books and some middle grades books at http://www.wiseowlfactory.com/BookaDay/
I have a new web site coming out soon that will be easie..."

I read on the BBC culture pages today that children's books sometimes have hidden messages. Do you agree? Mine do but designed for the parent rather than the child. All the best, David E The Black Hand Gang is currently no.1 ish in the UK on Amazon

This is exactly my question now. I had a school district purchase a set of 38 of my Oregon Trail book for 5th grade teachers to use in teaching American History, but their IMC librarian (Instructional media center) asked if I'd be willing to put together a teacher's guide and do a presentation to teachers. YIKES! but also very cool.

I had created comprehension worksheets to accompany two of my middle school books based on standardized questions use on many of the tests. As a reading specialist I am approached many times to read a book for an author and create material. This is a big boon for middle grade authors to have ready made material for their novel. I know the basal series has their own lessons and tests. HOWEVER, new literature adoptions need to have this as the basal series does not address all of the reading levels.

David wrote: I read on the BBC culture pages today that children's books sometimes have hidden messages. Do you agree? Mine do but designed for the parent rather than the child. All the best, David E The Black Hand Gang is currently no.1 ish in the UK on Amazon


The book The Black Hand Gang sounds very interesting. Just looked it up. What a great idea. Hmm bringing books/ebooks/tech together....

And yes!!! I hope that there are many books with those wonderful hidden messages. Love reading in layers. All the more fun to bring families and books together!!!

Dixie wrote: "This is exactly my question now. I had a school district purchase a set of 38 of my Oregon Trail book for 5th grade teachers to use in teaching American History, but their IMC librarian (Instructi..."

Hey, you can do it! You have the training and practice as a teacher. . . I feel a bit more of a fraud trying to do a lessonish presentation when I visit classrooms. And I can't imagine doing a teaching guide for the Ninja Librarian! It would just be too wild.

Rebecca wrote: "Dixie wrote: "This is exactly my question now. I had a school district purchase a set of 38 of my Oregon Trail book for 5th grade teachers to use in teaching American History, but their IMC library..."


I'm going to try to do it this summer, and also to target some bookstores and museums that are specifically Oregon Trail related with a email and an offer of a discount. But my experience teaching is mostly Special Ed and younger that 7, so I haven't actually had much experience looking at teaching guides for middle school.

For those in the US, creating a guide that references the Common Core standards can be a real advantage. Whether you are a fan of the CCSS or not, many schools are currently "locked in" to them, at least for now. I recently added a guide for readers grade 5-8 using vocabulary and questions that were piloted by a group before the book was released. The website tab that has "for Teachers" allows a download, but includes a note from me encouraging teachers to adapt and customize their use of this to suit their students, since they know them best.

I agree, Sandy! It is a bonus to follow the CCSS when creating a lit guide. I’d love to check out your website, Sandy :)

Sandy, I just shared and Tweeted about your wonderful site for teachers! A Big Shout Out to you! :)

Lorraine wrote: "I agree, Sandy! It is a bonus to follow the CCSS when creating a lit guide. I’d love to check out your website, Sandy :)"
Sandy, I just shared and Tweeted about your wonderful site for teachers! A Big Shout Out to you! :)

Thanks, Lorraine. I appreciate that you took a look and hope others will, too. The book released just a week ago, so my school involvement will begin next fall. I do plan some library visits with MG readers this summer, but they don't use "guides" and such. I hope teachers might discover the book and do some previewing this summer- that what I always did while teaching.

I am also planning on a major school tour in the fall. I don’t know how many I can do on this small island- LOL. Keep in touch please. I would love to pick your brain sometime if you have Skype we can have a jab session. Let me know.
Cheers!

Hi, I have spoken to seven school librarians and they have invited me to read my book to fourth and fifth grade children. I have also gotten my book, The Crystal Navigator, stocked in the Anne Arundel County, MD libraries. In MA. you have to talk to librarian in person. In the public school elementary schools, most want Booklist reviews, but if you visit them in person and give them your book, they will read it and might put it on their reading lists. Two have done this for me. It's a lot of work and a lot of repetition pitching your book, but I think it's a good way to get your book out there.

Great info here, Nancy. I will try that. l live on a small island and we have a minimal amount of libraries here. I’m going to contact each school and see if they would do an adoption for me.